Category: State Current Affairs

KSRTC honored with the 2025 SKOCH National Award

News –

• The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was honored with the 2025 SKOCH National Award in New Delhi for its “Transparent Recruitment and Training Programme”.
• The award recognizes technology-driven, transparent hiring practices, including automated driving tests and online exams, along with extensive employee training initiatives.

Key details regarding the award include:

• Award Ceremony: The SKOCH National Award 2025 was presented on March 28, 2026, in New Delhi.
• Recruitment Methodologies: KSRTC implemented automated driving tests, online examinations, digital document verification, and webcasting to minimize human intervention and ensure transparency.
• Achievements: The initiative facilitated the recruitment of 2,000 drivers/conductors, 300 technical staff, and 441 candidates under compassionate grounds, while training over 12,000 employees in six months.
• Award Recipient: The award was received by KSRTC Managing Director Akram Pasha.
• Significance: The SKOCH Group, a New Delhi-based think tank, presents these awards to recognize excellence in governance and technology adoption

CALM-Brain initiative

News – 

• Launched in Bengaluru, CALM-Brain is India’s first digital repository for major psychiatric disorders, including addiction, bipolar disorder, dementia, OCD, and schizophrenia. 
• It compiles multi-modal data (clinical, imaging, behavioral, and genetic) from over 2,000 participants to improve diagnostic accuracy and personalize treatments.

CALM-Brain initiative:

• Developers: The project was developed by the Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind (CBM), a partnership between NIMHANS and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS).
• Objectives: The repository aims to identify biomarkers, understand disease progression, and aid in personalized, data-driven treatment strategies.

Additional Information  –

• Bipolar Disorder: Characterized by alternating periods of depression and mania (elevated mood, high energy, reckless behavior).
• Dementia: A neurodegenerative condition leading to cognitive decline, including memory loss and impaired thinking, with Alzheimer’s being the most common type. Studies show bipolar disorder and schizophrenia increase the risk of developing dementia.
• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder): Involves persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). It is often comorbid (occurring together) with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• Schizophrenia: A severe, chronic mental disorder characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, and sense of self (hallucinations, delusions)

Karnataka’s First Spring Census

News –

• The Karnataka Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department, supported by the Directorate of Groundwater, has completed the state’s first-ever digital census, identifying 274 natural springs across 31 districts to enhance water conservation.

Key Findings of the Spring Census:

• Total Count: 274 springs documented, with the majority located in hilly districts like Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Chamarajanagar, and Kodagu.
• Unique Feature: The census identified one hot spring, “Bendru Theertha,” in the Dakshina Kannada district.
• Data Usage: The data will be used to protect and manage spring-fed water sources, which are critical for water security in rural areas.
• Top Districts: Belagavi reported the highest number of springs with 59, followed by Uttara Kannada (31), Chamarajanagar (23), and Kodagu (23).
• Ecological Health: Of the 274 springs, 144 are perennial (year-round flow), 114 are seasonal, and 16 have dried up.
• River Origins: The report specifically mapped springs that serve as the birthplaces of major rivers, including the Cauvery at Talakaveri, the Hemavati at Javali, and the Sharavati at Ambutheertha.

Connect with the basics – Springs

• They are natural outflows of groundwater onto the Earth’s surface, common in fractured, karst, or faulted terrains.
• They are crucial for water security in the Himalayas, though they are drying due to climate change.

Key Aspects

• Types & Formation: Formed when the water table hits the surface or through fractures. They occur in permeable layers restricted by impermeable rocks (contact springs).
• Hot Springs in India: Found along deep faults, such as in the Himalayan region (Manikaran, Puga Valley, Yumthang).
• Significance: Provide water for irrigation, drinking, and are vital for biodiversity.
• 1000 Springs Initiative: A Tribal Affairs Ministry project using GIS-based spring mapping to provide sustainable water and livelihoods in rural areas.
• Threats: Climate change and over-extraction are leading to the reduction of perennial springs, particularly in the Himalayan belt.

Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP)

News –

• Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) is constructing a 25-meter-high, eco-friendly public observation tower on Mirza Hill in collaboration with Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies

Key Features of the New Observation Tower:

• Location: Situated on Mirza Hill within the BBP premises.
• Structure: A 25-meter-high tower designed to accommodate 50–70 visitors
• Sustainability: The project will incorporate eco-conscious design elements, including solar energy systems and rainwater harvesting.
• Views: It offers a panoramic view of the Bannerghatta National Park, the surrounding forests, and the Bengaluru city skyline.
• Objective: To improve safety in wildlife observation and boost conservation awareness.

Additional Information – Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP)

• It is a major wildlife conservation and eco-tourism hub located about 22 km south of Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• It was carved out of the larger Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), which was declared a national park in 1974.

Key Facts

• Administration: BBP is governed by the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) and follows the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) of India.

Unique Features:

• India’s first Butterfly Park: Inaugurated in 2006, it features a conservatory with a polycarbonate roof, a museum, and a research laboratory.
• Fenced Elephant Sanctuary: It was the first biological park in India to have a dedicated, solar-fenced, forested elephant sanctuary.

Geography & Ecology:

• Location: Situated in the hills of the Anekal range.
• Vegetation: Includes Dry Deciduous Scrub Forests, Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, and Southern Tropical Moist Mixed Forests.
• Hydrology: The Suvarnamukhi stream runs through the center of the park and serves as the primary water source for wildlife.
• Wildlife Corridor: BNP forms a vital corridor for elephants, connecting the Biligirirangan (BR) Hills and the Sathyamangalam forests.
• Key Fauna: Home to the endangered Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Indian Gaur, Leopard, Sloth Bear, and the Southern Birdwing (Karnataka’s state butterfly).

Karnataka Cybersecurity Policy 2024

News – 

• The Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity – Karnataka (CySecK) annual compendium report confirmed that Karnataka accounted for nearly 9% of India’s total ransomware cases during 2025–26.

Karnataka Cybersecurity Policy 2024

• Objective – to create a secure, resilient digital ecosystem for government services (G2G, G2B, G2C). 
• The policy, aimed at strengthening data protection, fostering startup innovation, and creating 35,000+ jobs, earmarks over ₹100 crore for implementation over five years. 

Key pillars of the policy: 

• • Skill Development & Awareness: Partners with CISCO to train 40,000 individuals in cybersecurity, with a 50% focus on women.
  • Startup Incentives: Offers up to ₹50 lakh in matching grants for R&D projects and up to ₹1 lakh reimbursement for cybersecurity audits.
  • Infrastructure Protection: Focuses on strengthening cyber resilience of state IT assets and protecting critical infrastructure.
  • Collaboration: Engages with industry, academia, and organizations like Meta for public awareness

• Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity (CySecK) is a flagship initiative by the Government of Karnataka established in 2017 to strengthen the state’s digital ecosystem.

Connect with the basics – Types of Cyber Attacks

• Malware – It is short for malicious software, refers to any kind of software that is designed to cause damage to a single computer, server, or computer network. 

Example – Ransomware, Spy ware, Worms, viruses, and Trojans are all varieties of malware.

• Phishing – It is the method of trying to gather personal information using deceptive e-mails and websites.

Types of Malware

• Spyware – Spyware is software that spies on you, tracking your internet activities in order to send advertising (Adware) back to your system.
• Virus – A virus is a contagious program or code that attaches itself to another piece of software, and then reproduces itself when that software is run. Most often this is spread by sharing software or files between computers.
• Worm – A program that replicates itself and destroys data and files on the computer. Worms work to “eat” the system operating files and data files until the drive is empty.

Recent Steps Taken in India regarding Cyber Security

• Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative – It was launched in 2018 with an aim to spread awareness about cybercrime and building capacity for safety measures for IT staff across all government departments. 
• National Cyber security Coordination Centre (NCCC) – In 2017, the NCCC was developed to scan internet traffic and communication metadata coming into the country to detect real-time cyber threats.
• Cyber Swachhta Kendra – In 2017, this platform was introduced for internet users to clean their computers and devices by wiping out viruses and malware.
• Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-IN) – It is the nodal agency which deals with cybersecurity threats like hacking and phishing.

Legislation

• Information Technology Act, 2000.

• Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019.

International Mechanisms

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – It is a specialised agency within the United Nations which plays a leading role in the standardisation and development of telecommunications and cyber security issues.

Budapest Convention on Cybercrime 

• It is an international treaty that seeks to address Internet and computer crime (cybercrime) by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations. 
• It came into force on 1st July 2004.
• India is not a signatory to this convention.

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025

Context: 

• On March 16, 2026, the Sahitya Akademi officially announced its prestigious annual awards for 2025, recognizing outstanding literary contributions across 24 Indian languages. 

Key Highlights

• • Total Awardees: 24 authors across 24 languages.
  • Award Package: An engraved copper plaque, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,00,000.

• Field: Literature (across multiple genres).

Key Achievements:

• Diverse Genres: The 2025 honors celebrate a wide array of literary works, featuring 8 books of poetry, 4 novels, 6 short story collections, 2 essays, 1 literary criticism, 1 autobiography, and 2 memoirs.
• Notable English Winner: Former diplomat Navtej Sarna won the award in the English category for his acclaimed historical novel Crimson Spring.
• Notable Hindi Winner: Renowned author Mamta Kalia was honored in the Hindi category for her moving memoir Jeete Jee Allahabad.

Sahitya Akademi Awards:

• • Started: 1954.

• Event Category: India’s National Academy of Letters / 2nd highest literary honor (after the Jnanpith Award).

• • Specialty: Conferred annually to writers of the most outstanding original books published in the preceding five years.

• It covers 24 languages: the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, plus English and Rajasthani.

• It acts as a major platform to promote regional literature and preserve India’s linguistic diversity.

Sahitya Akademi Award 2025 Award for Kannada

• Name – Amaresh Nugadoni
• Work – Dada Seerisu Tande(Short Stories)

Sakala scheme

News – 

• Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced that 99.35% of applications under the state’s Sakala scheme have been processed within the stipulated timeline during the current year.

Sakala Scheme

• • It is officially known as the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act, 2011.
  • Objective – to ensure the timely delivery of government services. 

• The name “Sakala” translates to “at the right time” or “in good time” in Kannada. 

Key Features of Sakala

• Time-Bound Delivery: Every service under the scheme has a specific, pre-defined time limit for completion.
• Guaranteed Service Number (GSC): Upon submitting an application, citizens receive a unique 15-digit GSC number.
• Tracking and Accountability: Citizens can use their GSC number to track the status of their application online via the Official Sakala Portal.
• Penalty for Delays: If a service is not provided within the stipulated time, the designated officer may be fined. Under the proposed Sakala 2.0, this penalty is approximately ₹250 per day of delay.
• Wide Coverage: The scheme covers over 725 services across various departments, including Revenue, Transport, Education, and Health.

Kalyana Karnataka

News – 

• Karnataka Economic Survey 2025-26 revealed that Kalaburagi occupies the lowest rung in the state’s per capita income (PCI) grid, underscoring the  widening regional disparity in the Kalyana Karnataka.

Region-Specific Initiatives

• These schemes are specifically targeted at the districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Vijayanagara, and Ballari: 
• Kalyana Patha: A ₹1,000 crore project to develop 1,150 km of rural roads across 38 assembly constituencies.
• Kalyana Karnataka Comprehensive Health Scheme: A ₹873 crore initiative that includes setting up a Cancer Diagnosis Unit in Bidar and a super-speciality hospital in Koppal.
• ELEVATE Kalyana Karnataka: A specialized startup funding program to encourage entrepreneurship within the region.
• Nanna Guruthu: Aimed at securing government documents for SC/ST rural residents via the DigiLocker app in 1,000 Gram Panchayats.
• Education & Skill Training: Includes the establishment of new nursing colleges in Yalburga, Jevargi, and Yadgir, plus skill training for unemployed youth aged 18 to 35. 

Major Welfare & State Schemes

• Residents in this region also have access to Karnataka’s flagship “Five Guarantee” schemes and other departmental programs: 

Five Guarantees: 

• Gruha Lakshmi: ₹2,000 monthly for women heads of households.
• Gruha Jyothi: Free electricity for households using up to 200 units.
• Anna Bhagya: 10 kg of free food grains for BPL families.
• Shakti: Free bus travel for women within the state.
• Yuva Nidhi: Unemployment stipend for graduates and diploma holders.
• Ganga Kalyana Scheme: Provides borewells, pumps, and electrification to small and marginal farmers from SC/ST and minority communities.
• Udyogini Scheme: Offers up to 50% subsidy on loans for women entrepreneurs to start small businesses

UDAN scheme

News – 

• Karnataka’s Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil recently stated that airports in tier-II cities are not financially viable after the three-year incentive period under the UDAN scheme.

UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme 

• Launched in – October 2016

• • It is India’s flagship regional connectivity program designed to make air travel affordable and accessible for the common citizen. 

• The scheme focuses on connecting underserved and unserved airports in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. 

Key Features of UDAN

• Affordable Fares: Airfares are capped for approximately 50% of the seats on each flight. For example, a one-hour flight (~500 km) is capped at roughly ₹2,500 (subject to indexation).
• Viability Gap Funding (VGF): To encourage airlines to fly less profitable regional routes, the government provides financial subsidies (VGF) to cover the gap between operating costs and capped fare revenue.

Eva Nammava Eva Nammava Bill

News – 

• The Eva Nammava Eva Nammava Bill—officially titled the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition Act, 2026—is a landmark piece of legislation passed by the Karnataka State Legislature in March 2026.  

Eva Nammava Eva Nammava Bill

• Mandate – It is specifically designed to prevent “honour killings” and protect the freedom of adults to choose their life partners without interference from family, caste, or community bodies. 

Key Features of the Bill

• Right to Choose: Guarantees that every adult has the autonomy to choose their partner. It explicitly states that no family member, caste group, or community body has the authority to interfere in this decision.
• Broad Definition of Crimes: Beyond physical violence, the law criminalises social and economic boycotts, psychological terror (such as performing death rites for living persons), and forcing separation.

Institutional Support:

• Eva Nammava Vedike: A district-level platform or committee (including retired judges and police officers) to solemnise marriages and provide counselling.
• Safe Houses & Helplines: Mandates 24/7 helplines and state-funded safe houses in every district for threatened couples.
• Rapid Response: Police are required to provide protection within six hours of receiving a complaint.
• Strict Penalties: Offences are classified as cognizable and non-bailable. Punishment for honour killings includes a minimum of five years in prison, while causing hurt can lead to 2–3 years of rigorous imprisonment.